Political – National and other

South Cosford and Beyond

Brian Riley Local Colour, Political - Local, Political - National and other , ,
Babergh Wards Political 2011
Babergh’s Wards – 2011 – Political

Last week saw a by election in the South Cosford ward of Babergh District. The ward covers 4,311 hectares and holds 2,139 residents in 905 houses. The average age is 41 y.o. Hadleigh North (which is represented by two District Councillors) contains 3,417 residents in 1,510 dwellings. The average age of the residents is 42.5 years.
The seat was previously held by Dawn Kendall (Conservative).
The results were as follows: Robert Lindsay, (G) 346, David Talbot Clarke (C) 330, Stephen Laing (UKIP) 219, Angela Wiltshire (L) 72. Majority 16. Turnout 54.7%.
The turnout was quite high for a local election – so full marks to all the workers who knocked on doors and delivered leaflets.
Mr Lindsay will be the only Green on Babergh and the question is will he sit on his own (unattached from any political grouping) or will he align himself to one of the groups – Conservative (unlikely), Labour, Liberal Democrats or Independents? Perhaps the key question is what sort of Green is he – a mango or a melon? Mangos are yellow on the inside and are therefore closet Liberal Democrats. The melons are red on the inside and therefore closet Socialists. One spends money without policies whilst the other spends money with abandon.
There are enough questions here to keep a psephologist happy for days. Why did UKIP come third and did he take votes away from the Conservatives. And what was the effect of the Liberal Democrats not having a candidate?
Nationally the conservatives have managed expectations and have done better than expected – especially in East Anglia where we retained three seats in Brussels. Yesterday’s Spectator web site suggested that there is a sense that the national results have given critics in each party the opportunity to say what they’ve been planning to say all along, but possibly without the impact they’d hoped for.
Meanwhile the economy is picking up and this may be affecting the voting.
The number of young people not in education, work or training (Neets) in eastern England has fallen to a pre-recession low. In a fresh boost to the local economic outlook, there were 79,000 16 to 24-year-olds considered Neet in the first quarter of 2014, the lowest figure since 74,000 in the second quarter of 2008. At its peak, the number of young people in the region classed as Neet was 121,000 in the third quarter of 2011. Nationally, the percentage of teenagers in Neet is at its lowest since records began. The news comes after it emerged last week that total unemployment in Suffolk fell by almost a third in a year. The number of people claiming out-of-work benefits in the county reached pre-recession levels when falling to 8,592 in April, a 32.3% drop from 12,607 in April last year and the lowest since 8,486 in October 2008.

Recalling with bite

Brian Riley Political - National and other , ,

Polling StationMPs have come together to say that they need to regain our trust. And they’re right. Many of us think that politics in the UK needs improvement. MPs can be sent to prison, can fiddle their expenses or break their promises and we can only get rid of them on election days.
Now we’ve got a chance right now to make things better. It looks like the government is making plans to announce new powers to sack – ‘recall’ – MPs who don’t do their job properly.
However the new plans could put the power to sack MPs in their colleagues’ hands – not their constituents. Some MPs think this is not good enough. They’re backing real recall – so if enough people wanted to hold a by-election to sack their MP in between elections, they could.
A real recall law is not the answer to all of our democracy’s problems. But it’s a step in the right direction. And above all, it puts the power into our hands rather than MPs’.
Real recall won’t mean that by-elections happen every day. There would be checks and balances in place so that MPs can get on with their jobs. It’s only the bad MPs who will need to worry.
We need to send the government a clear signal, which means the petition needs to be big. Every signature will build the pressure.
Here’s what Conservative MP, Zac Goldsmith said:
“As an MP, I’ve seen how public pressure can force the government’s arm – and they’re particularly sensitive about public trust in MPs right now. A massive petition could give David Cameron and Nick Clegg no option but to go back to the drawing board – and produce recall with bite.”
Please sign the petition now calling for a proper recall option on:
https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/recall-2014
Please also see The Telegraph: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/10850163/Let-voters-sack-underperforming-politicians-MPs-say.html

 

Building on the Flood Plains

Brian Riley Political - National and other ,

Brunei Housing 1988Last week the Chairman of Environment Agency suggested that developers should consider building “floating” homes to combat the risk of flooding, The comments from Lord Smith of Finsbury come after the agency was criticised for its response to the flooding on the Somerset Levels.
They are also apparently at odds with the views of the Environment Secretary, who said last month that building on flood plains was “obviously idiotic” and should not happen.
Building floating homes are not the only solution to building on flood plains. The photograph from my archives shows our house in Brunei. The car was parked underneath the house and we also used the space to host Irish Country Dancing evenings.

Labour’s VAT attack Advertisement

Brian Riley Political - National and other , ,

Labour Party Poster 140509 It’s not nice to be triumphal but the newspapers have been enjoying themselves over the latest advertisement from The Labour Party. The Spectator on Friday reported that Labour has a long, hard slog to arrest the public’s loss of faith in its economic competence. The party’s latest advert hasn’t helped. It shows David Cameron and Nick Clegg as two peas-in-a-pod whose VAT hike has put £450 on the annual shopping bill. There’s one big problem with the advert: it makes its claim in front of a whole bunch of foods on which VAT is not payable. Basic food is subject at zero per cent. Even the chocolate-chip biscuits. There are some 24 products in the picture and 18 of them are VAT exempt: Fresh fruit and vegetables (peas, sweetcorn, mushrooms, tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, red onions, beans, red cabbage, carrots, grapes, apples) eggs: all zero-rated.  Even the chocolate chip biscuits are zero-rated.  Canned and preserved vegetables have the same VAT liability as their unprocessed equivalents.  So, which goods attract 20 per cent VAT? The three cleaning products, the cola, the lemonade and the beer. It doesn’t end there. Labour might be complaining about the VAT rise, but to pay an extra £450 as a result of the VAT increase, you’d need to be spending £21,000 on goods attracting VAT at the full rate – something that would mean you were in the top fifth of income earners – and likely to be spending £40,000 a year on goods and services The Sun’s editorial on Saturday describes the advertisement as a “schoolboy error (which) is the latest cheap shot in a shallow election campaign that doesn’t bear close scrutiny. And it’s highly embarrassing for leader Ed Milliband who just days ago claimed he was cleverer than David Cameron”.

http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/2014/05/labours-vat-attack-misses-the-mark-you-dont-pay-it-on-food/?utm_source=Coffee+House+Evening+Blend&utm_campaign=3c5baf92a3-coffee_house_evening_blend_9_may&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_7aaa2a4d70-3c5baf92a3-62533301

Bus Pass Elvis Party

Brian Riley Political - National and other

ImageThe Daily Mail reports today that in a by election for a seat on Nottingham City Council the Liberal Democrats were beaten into fifth place. Labour came first, the Conservatives came second, UKIP were third and fourth was David Bishop from Bus-Pass Elvis Party. It was no consolation to the Liberal Democrats that they lost to the Bus-Pass Elvis Party by only 11 votes.
Part of the Elvis Party manifesto was for a 30 per cent discount in brothels for pensioners.
The Bus-Pass Elvis Party is also known as Elvis Loves Pets, Church of the Militant Elvis and Elvis and the Yeti Himalayan Preservation Party.
It was founded in 2001 by Mr Bishop to ‘overthrow the Corporate Capitalist State which turned Elvis, a man of immense talent, into a fat media joke’.
Mr Bishop has previously stood against disgraced Tory MP Neil Hamilton, Communities Secretary Eric Pickles and UKIP’s Robert Kilroy Silk. The retired painter and decorator stood in the Eastleigh parliamentary by-election last year, triggered by the resignation of Liberal Democrat Cabinet Minister Chris Huhne. In Eastleigh Mr Bishop came 11th, behind the Beer, Baccy and Crumpet party and the Monster Raving Loony party.
Read more: http://grumpyoldelvis.co.uk/about/ and http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2575536/Lib-Dems-shook-beaten-election-Bus-Pass-Elvis-Party-wants-brothels-OAPs-30-discount.html#ixzz2vIZPaVmj

Small Country Independence

Brian Riley Political - National and other, Quotation of the day , , ,

Scottish StandardBill Bonner on the 21st February wrote:
“Small states do a better job of controlling their government, their military forces and their debt. Not because they are smarter or more peaceful. But simply because there is less distance between the governed and their governors. Citizens can see what their leaders are up to. If they don’t approve, the politicians can be beaten in the next election, or in the street.
Independence for Scotland? Yes, it’s probably a good idea.”
http://moneyweek.com/bill-bonner-nations-of-the-world-divide/
But later Merryn Somerset-Webb, who lives in Edinburgh, took issue with the suggestion that small governments are, ceteris paribus, better than big ones: “If Scotland votes for independence it will be as a socialist nation, not a wealthy capitalist one. The result will be profound misery. I really don’t think it is something to wish for. It’s already a disaster in the making. What small countries actually do these days if they aren’t tax havens full of educated people (Switzerland) is indulge in one variety or the other of nepotism/theft/corruption/public sector crowding out, and then collapses.”
Bill Bonner then concedes the issue with “She’s probably right about that. Big country or small one, the ruling elite always wants as much mis-government as the country can afford – and often more!
25/2/2014

My Brother the Playwright

Brian Riley Nice Things, Political - National and other , ,

ImageEvery year  the Southend Playwriting Festival  puts on fresh plays for public performance. They were established in 2010 to bring new ‘voices’ to the theatre by presenting the work of new and aspiring playwrights as rehearsed readings by professional actors. Such works and performances it was hoped would bring forth fresh material and would provide exciting and entertaining evenings for their audiences, and in turn inspire others to write and submit their own plays in future years.  This year they received over 400 plays from writers in the UK, USA, New Zealand, Australia, Italy, Finland, and Canada.  I’m pleased to bask in the glory of my brother (Colin Riley) whose play Remember, Remember, 1605 was performed in Southend and in Chelmsford.
Although only fifteen minutes long, it involved six speaking parts and as you might expect it was thought provoking and excellent focussing on the anti-Catholic sentiments of the day.
I look forward to next year.

Onward and Yeoward

Brian Riley Group Matters, Local Colour, Political - Local, Political - National and other, Uncategorized , ,

Yeo Tim 131130 a

Yesterday’s EADT (contained details of a letter of support from six Conservative Members of Parliament based in East Anglia promoting Tim Yeo’s cause and concluding with  “We greatly value the contribution that you make as a dedicated community campaigner and experienced Parliamentarian and hope that the members of The South Suffolk Conservative Association will make the right decision”.
The article can be found on http://www.eadt.co.uk/news/politics/ south_suffolk_yeo_gets_backing_from_the_county_s_mps_1_3167446).
The full letter is attached see: Suffolk MPs letter Dec 2013 (1)
Tim has also set up a web site (www.timyeo2015.net). Among the endorsements are one from Ian Dowling MBE, (former Association Chairman and President). Ian wrote “Tim has served his Constituents in South Suffolk with diligence and skill for 30 years. Over this time he has demonstrated considerable Political expertise and leadership, attributes which have been recognised by several Conservative Party leaders with appointments to several senior Ministerial and similar posts over those years. All this continues, and Tim’s energy to deliver not only on behalf of his Constituents but also as a senior Parliamentarian respected by his colleagues, is undiminished. I have no hesitation in supporting his application to be the candidate in South Suffolk in 2015.”
High praise indeed!

 

Happy Marriage Study Abandoned

Brian Riley Political - Local, Political - National and other ,

Wedding Cake 2004 SMCThe Daily Telegraph reported this week that a  study to assess whether marriage improves if a husband agrees to all his wife’s demands had to be abandoned after the man sank into a deep depression.
Researchers at the University of Auckland in New Zealand were hoping to test whether the key to a happy marriage lies in bowing to the whims of a partner and giving up the need to ‘always be in the right.’
In the experiment the husband was asked “agree with his wife’s every opinion and request without complaint. Even if he believed the female participant was wrong, the male was to bow and scrape,” said researchers. But after recruiting a couple for an initial pilot they were forced to scrap the project as the husband became deeply depressed.
There were a number of conclusions drawn from the pilot study.
These suggest that it seems that being right may be a cause of happiness, and agreeing with what one disagrees with is a cause of unhappiness.
The availability of unbridled power adversely affects the quality of life of those on the receiving end.
This last comment not only applies in a marriage. It also applies in Government where elected representatives think that they were elected to rule. Worse are the civil servants (at all levels) who think that they have the God given right to tell people what’s good for them. Often a case of don’t do as I do, do as I tell you.
More can be read on
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/10524035/Happy-marriage-study-abandoned-as-husband-becomes-depressed.html

Onward and Yeoward

Brian Riley Political - Local, Political - National and other , ,

Yeo Tim 131130 aWednesday brought us the news that our M.P. Tim Yeo will fight his deselection by the South Suffolk Conservative Association Executive. Tim has decided that the party members should decide if he is to be their candidate in the 2015 General Election.
Apart from the Executive, everyone I have met (both party members and other well wishers) only speak good things about Tim.
I think this might be a case of “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.” (Mark Twain). Certainly we have a man who is not backward in coming forward and this is what we need in anyone who represents us. Certainly we do not need a milquetoast.
Voting papers will be sent out around the 20th January.
http://www.eadt.co.uk/news/politics/south_suffolk_mp_tim_yeo_to_fight_for_his_seat_with_party_ballot_1_3101155)